"If every businessman making money from school catering tries to govern the country, we won’t get very far," Kuyvashev also said
— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) February 24, 2023
A number of Russian state-controlled media outlets have been instructed not to quote statements made by the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to a report.
Independent outlet Verstka, citing sources from the Kremlin-backed media and the Russian defence ministry, reports that Russian state journalists have been ordered not to quote Prigozhin unless absolutely necessary, Meduza writes.
Russian authorities have also prepared a "media smear campaign" against Prigozhin, the outlet says, but have decided not to launch it for the time being.
One source said:
In a meeting this week, the higher-ups repeated to us that the block on Prigozhin that we put in place in January remains in effect.
We're banned from mentioning him unless it's absolutely necessary, we're banned from quoting him, except in cases where he's the first person to report news about successes on the front line. For example, if they captured Soledar or reached the outskirts of Bakhmut.
Prigozhin is really pushing his luck.
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